kicking ass– in a very peaceful kind of way

The Prizewinning Breakfast Cereal

When it comes to grams of fiber and protein content this cereal takes the imaginary prize.

How’s your fiber intake, by the way? It looks like a jolly good mornin’ to talk about poops. SO LET’S.

NOT the kind of fiber I’m talking about.

You already know that you need fiber to get things moving in… um… the evacuation route. But if you’re like the average North American (and that includes you, Mexico) then your fiber intake is likely lacking.

While we’re at it let’s set the record straight: Eating a bar of Fiber 1 will not make up for the amount or quality of fiber that your body needs. It’s called marketing, darling.

I highly doubt that any commercial brand of cereal or bar can offer what our body really needs. And this is why I set out on a search, a journey, if you will. I journey-ed all the way to my kitchen to experiment until coming up with the most kick-ass (clean-ass?) cereal I could possibly muster.

If you’ve been reading me for a while you’ll know that I’m a true believer in effective eating– getting the most nutrients packed in one single meal. Considering this, I decided that my cereal had to comply with the following characteristics:

-Very high fiber content

-Very high protein content

-Made entirely of whole foods

-Easy to make and store

-Easy to modify to different tastes/flavors

-Cost-effective

It took me a while to do some research because I wanted to make sure I was choosing the best of the best ingredients. And here we have the finalists of the awesome cereal pageant:

Millet- High in magnesium (which fights migraines and asthma and protects the heart). High in phosphorus (aids in tissue and muscle recovery, as well as bone density– imperative for athletes!). High in insoluble fiber.

Teff- Extremely high in calcium, Vitamin C and dietary protein. Many of Ethiopia’s famed long-distance runners attribute their energy and health to teff.

Amaranth- High content of the amino acid lysine (for tissue growth and repair), and of the minerals calcium, iron and magnesium. One of the Aztec foods of choice, and again, if it was good enough for mighty warriors it’s certainly good enough for you and me.

Quinoa- Full spectrum of nine essential amino-acids, making it a complete protein. Also high in lysine. Good source of manganese and folate, along with many other nutrients.

Buckwheat- Rich in flavonoids, particularly rutin, which protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants.

Oats- Contain a specific kind of fiber called beta-glucan.

On top of all this, all of the above mentioned ingredients help improve heart health and keep heart disease away. They all help diabetics with the regulation of sugar, as well as preventing diabetes from appearing in the first place. They’re all super high in fiber, which contributes to colon health and keeping the risk of colon cancer away. Whole grains like these offer protection against atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, insulin resistance, obesity, and premature death.

Whole grains are also important dietary sources of water-soluble, fat-soluble, and insoluble antioxidants, and include vitamin E, tocotrieonols, selenium, phenolic acids, and phytic acid. Whew!

So we have a winner.

The Cereal That Will Clean Kick Your Ass

Remember that you can alter the quantities to your liking. This is just an approximate of what I used in my version, but you can certainly switch it around to your convenience.

About 2 1/2 C of water, enough so that your cereal doesn’t go dry and burn

Before anything I popped my amaranth. You can cook it with the rest of the grains, but I really prefer the taste of popped amaranth (plus it reminds me of home). It’s super fast and easy, look here.

Soak the millet and quinoa for 15 minutes, and rinse. Place them in a saucepan with about 2 cups of water and the buckwheat, bring to a boil and salt lightly. After about 10 minutes add the Teff and let it continue cooking. After 5 minutes add the oats and stir until the oats are cooked and tender. Make sure your water isn’t completely gone because your cereal will burn.

Once this porridge is ready serve it in a bowl, sprinkle the popped amaranth, add your milk of choice and your toppings. That’s it!

Tips: Buckwheat has a very strong, overpowering taste. I’d recommend you keep the ratio of buckwheat really low, particularly in the beginning, if you’re just starting to get used to it.

And water. I can’t say this enough. WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER WATER. Fiber is awesome at sweeping your insides, but it does need water to swoosh all the yuckies out. DRINK WATER. LOTS OF WATER. OFTEN. ALWAYS.

Stock your bathroom with good reading material, if you’re into that sort of thing. Not that you’ll be spending a whole lot of time in there, mind you, because this cereal will guarantee that things travel fast, smooth and effectively.

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This looks so good! Thanks for the laughs and the nutritional highlights. :) I also love adding oat bran to whatever breakfast I’m having – tons of soluble and insoluble fiber. Thanks again – great post!

Women should get about 25 grams a day and men at least 35 to 40, but the average person gets just 15 grams a day. Eating fiber-rich whole foods—not foods that tout “added fiber”—is the best way to increase your fiber intake, says Carolyn Brown, RD, a nutritionist at Foodtrainers, in New York City.;